Category Archives: Blog
Writing the Darkness: American Writers and Mental Illness
In his 1936 essay for Esquire, “The Crack-Up,” F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote loosely, as if [...]
“Toto, I Don’t Believe We’re in Illinois Anymore:” L. Frank Baum’s Chicago Connection
In October of 2016, the Smithsonian Museum of American History began a Kickstarter campaign to [...]
Welcome to City Lights
“Welcome to City Lights. A literary meeting place since 1953.” So reads the hand-painted sign hung [...]
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May
Five Books That Can Help Us Find Hope
There’s no doubt that it is a dark and divided moment in American society—one that [...]
Siri Hustvedt and Atul Gawande: When Science Meets Art in Literature
We’re all amazed by people who have skills we don’t. It’s part of the magic [...]
A Recommendation for Rereading
I am someone who is always buying new books or asking for them at birthdays [...]
Self-Publishing
The do-it-yourself mentality is thriving. Websites like Pinterest offer everyday people the chance to create [...]
Follow the Classics with these Books by Women Writers
A couple years ago, I challenged myself to go a whole year reading only women [...]
American Literary Playlists – Part 3
The creative processes of literary writing and songwriting have always been intertwined. Musicians such as [...]
Edward Abbey
In the closing pages of his book Desert Solitaire Edward Abbey writes, “Whether we live [...]
Mar